Charting A Way Forward

Back to Agriculture

Charting The Way Forward

 

Private sector to invest in farming

To a large extent, I agree with the call by Mikael Barford, Head of the EU delegation to the Eastern Caribbean Countries for the private sector to assume a larger role in guiding and investing in the farming industry since public funding alone would not meet the demands of expanding markets in the agri-food sector.   

Barton claimed that private sector investment would eradicate huger, increase food security, revive the rural economy and create jobs for the youth.  

 

“We have in the Ministry the option of using CEPEP and URP and those are going to be explored” (Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat)

Back in 2005, vendors at the Scarborough market complained of having to travel to Trinidad to replenish their supplies and strongly advocated that agriculture be made part of the CEPEP agenda. “Tobago was a big agricultural exporter. Right now there are a set of young people painting stones and planting flowers when they can be planting tomatoes and other things” while there is a shortage of labour in the Agricultural sector.

For, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, the labour shortage in the Agriculture sector will be solved by employing CEPEP and URP workers.   Within recent time, the Pineapple Association of Trinidad and Tobago indicated interest in having these workers used on their lands for labour.

Strengthening Our Agriculture Sector

It is imperative that Trinidad and Tobago produce its own food if it is to achieve food security.  To a large extent, we are reliant on external sources for most of our foods which is reflected in our high food import bill.   Strengthening our agriculture sector is therefore extremely important. 

A top priority, as a matter of urgency, is the development of our agriculture sector to cushion the impact of high food prices on our citizens.

Achieving national food security requires a unified direction which will align resources and create a platform for government and private sector to engage in strategic partnerships to mobilize and utilize available land, resources, labour, human resources and technology.

Invest in Goat Farming For Meat

Fresh Goat meat

Research shows that the current consumption of fresh and frozen meat is valued at TT$236M.  However, meat from goat is one of the major commodities and our present production is valued at TT$25M.

There is opportunity for primary production as consumption greatly exceeds local production.

Marketing Avenues include:

• Retail market for fresh cut and frozen
• School Feeding Programme
• Fast Food and restaurants market
• Institutions (Army, Prisons, Hospital)
• Export Market

4 h clubs to learn about Goat Farming - A Pilot Project

• The Ministry of Education should partner with the Ministry of Agriculture to engage     4 h members (in the eight education districts of Trinidad and Tobago) to learn how to rear goats. 

•  Start the pilot project with two female kids.  When they are old enough to increase the Ministry of Agriculture should provide Artificial Insemination to provide increase.  These new rams/does should be distributed to other schools throughout the community. 

•  increases from this pilot should be provided to other schools to engage

• With increased interest in goat meat, milk and cheese products, 4-H'ers will gain a broad knowledge of the goat industry through events, shows and hands-on project

• 4-H goat members will build skills which will be valuable to them for life as they increase their knowledge and find opportunities for personal growth and enrichment.

• The Private Sector should sponsor an award for the outstanding 4-H market goat club leader for which prizes should be distributed at the World Food Day Celebrations

  
  Train CEPEP workers to plant food and raise animals. 
   

  Should the government restructure CEPEP to plant food and raise animals?